What’s in a start?

So a group of friends is working on a quilt pattern (shall remain nameless) and the intro mentions “before commencing, cut 527 1 1/2″ squares”. That gave us a good laugh. Most of us consider that 527 1 1/2″ squares is way past commencing and pretty darned committed to making the pattern, and this got me to thinking about when do you actually ‘start’ a quilt?

I have heard the position that once you buy the pattern, that is considered a UFO. I laughed hysterically when I heard that. A long long time ago, I learned that patterns can go out of print fast, and if I like it, I should buy the pattern now, because in 10 or 15 years when I want to make it, I will have the pattern available. This approach has served me well over the years, but I would be mortified to think about having THOUSANDS of UFOs.

Buying fabric, that’s another step towards making a quilt, but I often buy fabric because I like it, and in the quilting world, a fabric line is rarely available more than 6 months or so, and again, in a couple of years when I actually want it, I won’t be able to get it anymore. We will not delve into a discussion of how big my stash is, but I have been sewing from it extensively since moving out to the farm and have been very pleased to fully piece 3 quilts from my stash exclusively with more in work. If I had to count every fat quarter and every yard of fabric as a UFO, again, we are talking a seriously large number

For me, it comes down to actually cutting into the fabric. Once I start cutting fabric, that signals that I am committed to that design and have made a start on making that quilt. I admit that I have a bin full of strips that are cut because I “started” a quilt and then changed my mind, but someday those strips will come in handy. So cutting is the line of demarcation for me between having a dream and starting a quilt.

I finished up my last hand piecing project a few months ago (it was supposed to be a project on the cruise this year that didn’t happen) and I miss having a hand piecing project going. I have a bin of fabric in the closet that is all 30’s reproductions, some of which I know I got back in 1999, so I’ve had it a while. Some of it was handed off scraps from a friend but since they were 30’s fabrics, they went into the bin. Over the last two weeks, I used up that bin to stamp out 2″ hexagons to piece a fairly large quilt. 588 Hexagons to be exact. Plus 24 half hexagons, plus 46 diamonds to help square up the sides (oh and borders and binding too.). I always wonder to myself if I want to write up my latest design idea as a pattern, and I had a good laugh when I realized I know JUST how to start the pattern: “before commencing, stamp and cut out 588 2″ hexagons”. Yea. I’d say I commenced by the time I had the first 25 cut. I’m looking forward to this quilt, I like 30’s fabrics, but the sight of that empty bin in the studio is pretty gratifying too.